Burial-casket



(No Model.)

R. B. HEUCHAN 8u S..A. MASON.

BURIAL GASKET.

Patented Apr. 19', 1887.

lsamlwllus 07% A WlTJVE/SSES Homey UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT B. HEUOHAN AND SAMUEL A. MASON, OE COMMERCE, MISSOURI.

BU RIAL-CASKET.

.'PECIFlCATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 361,518l dated April 19, 1887.

Application filed February 17, i887. Serial No. 227,944. (l \vo model.)

To all whom, it may/concern,.-

Be it known that we, ROBERT B. HEUCHAN and SAMUEL A. MASON, citizens of the United States of America, residing at Commerce, in the county of Scott and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improve` ments in Grave-Boxes; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description ofthe invention,such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters or figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

Our invention relates to certain new and use ful improvements in metallic boxes which are adapted to be used in graves for receiving caskets or coffins, the object of our invention being to provide a metallic box the lid of which cannot be removed after once being placed thereon, the sides and ends being so constructed that they cannot be removed from each other except from the interior of the box 5 and to this end our invention consists in the construction and combination of the parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth, and specifically pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate our invention, Figure l is a perspective view of a grave-box constructed in accordance with our invention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional View. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view taken through the line y y of Fig. 2; and Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of vone of the sides.

In the accompanying drawings, A refers to the bottom plate, which is provided with upturned ends a a, the side edges having a suitable number of bolt-holes formed therein, the end pieces, B B, consisting of flattened rectangular plates, the vertical edges of which have bolt-holes b b formed therein, and the side pieces, C C, have their bottom edges bent at right angles, as shown at c, and are provided with bolt-holes, which register with those in the bottom A. The vertical ends C of these side pieces are bent inwardly, and are also provided with perforations which register with the perforations inthe vertical edges of the end pieces, B. The upper edges of the side pieces, C, are bent over or upset, so that they will occupy a position at an angle with the sides, as shown at c.

The parts of the box hereinbefore described are secured rigidly to each other by bolts, the nuts of which are located on the interior of the box, said bolts being of such construction that they cannot be removed from the exterior of the box.

The portions a of the bottom A need not necessarily be bolted to the end pieces, B, but may merely extend upwardly over the same, as shown in the accompanying drawings.

The box, constructed as hereinbefore described, will be provided at its longitudinal upper edge with an inwardly and downwardly turned portion, c', and the length of the box will permit the side pieces, C, to have a slight outwardly-spring movement.

D refers to the cover of the box, which is only intended to be placed thereon when it is desired to permanently close the box. The cover of said box consists of a flat sheet, which is provided at suitable intervals with transverse strips d, which are rigidly secured thereto, said transverse strips having their ends bent downwardly and again upwardly, so as to engage with the upset portions c of the sides of the box. This top is also provided near the ends B B with inwardly-projecting pieces d, which will engage with said ends and prevent the top being slid longitudinally upon the sides.

To secure the top in position it is only necessary to place the same in proper position and bear upon the same, when the sides will spring slightly apart at their upper edges, so as to permit the upper edges of the side pieces to engage with the ends of the transverse` strips, thereby locking the top securely and irremovably in, thus providing a cheap, simple, and effective means of preventing grave robberies, and providing durable inclosingboxes for caskets or coffins in the grave.

We do not wish to limit ourselves tothe precise construction of the bottom, end, and

side pieces of the box, but reserve the right to construct the same with other form of joints or manner of attachment than those heretofore described, as the ends of the sheet-metal struct- IOO ure hereinbefore described may be bent upon themselves and otherwise attached, the leading idea of the body portion of the box being that it should be so constructed that it can be readily taken down for shipment and put up for use by unskilled labor.

We claiml. A metallic box provided with side pieces' having the upper edges thereof bent inwardly and downwardly, in combination with a top having one or more transverse strips adapted to interlock with the upper edges of the side pieces, substantially as shown, and for the purpose set forth. Y y

2. In a metallic box or receptacle for the purpose set forth, the side pieces, C, having the upper edges or a portion thereof bent innoBT. B. HEUOHAN. i SAMUEL A. MAsoN.l

Vitnesses:

JONATHAN B. ToRBEm), HENRY C. ALLMoN. 

